Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnerships with Baltimore, USA-based John Hopkins University, and with the support of the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), has launched the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI), a global competitive grant program that will foster catalytic change in city cycling infrastructure in up to 10 cities around the world. (Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere.)
BICI will help cities implement ambitious cycling projects, setting a new precedent for what’s possible in cities. The program was founded upon the belief that cities thrive when they provide safe, healthy, and sustainable transportation options, and that city leaders face an urgent need to build bigger, more connected and more innovative cycling infrastructure.
The deadline for applications is Friday 3rd February 2023.
Cycling is one of the healthiest, most efficient, environmentally friendly, and financially accessible modes of transportation available. Unfortunately, the lack of safe cycling infrastructure remains a major barrier for would-be cycling residents. In too many cities, cycling infrastructure remains disconnected, incomplete, and in need of innovation.
BICI is designed primarily for cities with more than 100,000 residents, who can demonstrate a clear commitment to, and capacity for, implementing transformative cycling infrastructure improvements. Over 3 years, the program will help cities:
o Fund ambitious cycling infrastructure projects by providing grants of $400k USD (£340,450) to $1M USD (£851,125).
o Refine project plans by connecting winning cities with world-class technical assistance from GDCI.
o Implement projects and track progress by training city leaders on data collection, resident engagement and other industry best practices, and
o Connect with a global network of city peers.
Bloomberg Philanthropies, with the support of the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) and leading experts, will select and award funding and technical assistance to 10 cities across the world to accelerate the delivery and expansion of cycling infrastructure. BICI will celebrate and support cities that:
o Dramatically re-imagine infrastructure to reclaim and repurpose existing space or create new facilities that put cyclists first.
o Create complete networks that allow people of all ages and abilities to bike safely and conveniently.
o Show what’s possible by bringing world-class bicycling infrastructure to regions that currently lack it.
o Experiment with new materials, technology, or implementation methods in ways that make cycling networks easier to build or encourage more people to ride, and
o Centres people above all else by taking into consideration the risks, choices, and trade-offs residents face when deciding how to travel through their cities.
The most successful proposals will feature projects that accomplish one or more of these goals while bringing together government agencies, community members, and resources in new ways; and are combined with new city policies that ensure cycling infrastructure improvements are implemented at scale.
For further information and details about how to apply, please visit the BICI website.
The deadline for applications is Friday 3rd February 2023.
